Sample Images
of High Resolution Colour Enhanced Satellite Imagery

Introduction and conditions of use

The following are a selection of samples (approx 200 x 170 pixels) of high resolution (approx 800 x 700 pixels) colour enhanced imagery suitable for publication. Charges apply to use of high resolution images. Contact the Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology Space Based Observations Section to obtain information on charges and written copyright permission to allow use or redistribution (e.g. electronically or in publications) of the high resolution images. Other past images from the Bureau's archive of hourly GMS and AVHRR satellite images may also be ordered at similar charges.

Users of these images are deemed to have read and accepted the conditions described in the copyright declaration below. A condition of any use of the GMS satellite images is an acknowledgement along the lines of:
"Satellite image processed by the Bureau of Meteorology, originally obtained from the Geostationary Meteorological Satellite (GMS-5) of the Japanese Meteorological Agency"

Or for NOAA satellite images acknowledgement might read:
"Cloud imagery received and processed by the Bureau of Meteorology from the USA's NOAA series of polar orbiting meteorological satellites"

Victorian & NSW Fires, Summer 2003

Near Learmonth 00:30 UTC 22 March 1999(GMS 5)

Near Learmonth 02:30 UTC 22 March 1999 (GMS 5)

Remains of TC Vance 04:25 UTC 23 March 1999 (GMS 5)

02:30 UTC 11 February (GMS 5)

04:25 UTC 11 February (GMS 5 Vis)

26 December 1998 (GMS 5)

TC Thelma: Darwin 7 December 1998

TC Thelma: Darwin 8 December 1998

00:30 UTC 9 December 1998 (GMS 5)

SE Australian floods/heavy rain - June 1998

The two images below are colour-enhanced combined visible and infrared views of a low pressure system and associated cloud band covering southeastern Australia and the Tasman Sea. The images, for 04 UTC (2pm EST) on Tuesday 23 June 1998, were originally obtained with the Geostationary Meteorological Satellite (GMS-5) of the Japan Meteorological Agency, and were received and processed by the Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology.

GMS-5 full disk image 04 UTC 23 June 1998 (approx 3Mb)

GMS-5

Australian Region image 02 UTC 23 June 1998 (approx 550kb)

The Image below is a false coloured visible/infrared image from USA's NOAA-14 polar orbiting satellite, received and processed by the Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology. It shows cloud associated with flooding in Gippsland, covering SE Australia and was taken at 05 UTC (2pm EST) on Thursday 23 June 1998

NOAA-14 image SE Australia 04 UTC 23 June 1998 (about 350kb)

Images of NSW Bushfire - December 1997

This multi-channel composite image was received by the Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology at 15:55 EST on 2nd December 1997 from the US NOAA-14 polar orbiting satellite. The image has been false coloured enhanced to depict the smoke plumes from the NSW Bush Fires. For the technically minded, the method used for the colouring was to set the 0.58-0.68 micron channel (Channel 1) to red, the 0.725-1.1 micron channel (Channel 2) to green and the 10.3-11.3 micron channel (Channel 4) to blue. The three channels were then combined so as to achieve sufficient colouring contrast for the smoke plumes to be detectable over both land and sea.

2 December 1997

GMS-5 Imagery

The GMS-5 image provided shows the full disk of the earth, as viewed form the satellite's orbital location 36,000 km above the equator. The image is a combination of visible and infrared channels, colour enhanced.

20 October 1997